Conventionally, passenger aircraft are supplied by the aircraft manufacturer with the floor panels of the passenger deck(s) already in place, fixed to the internal structure of the aircraft; this internal structure typically comprises a series of regularly spaced laterally extending joists and longitudinally extending beams to which the floor panels are bolted, the joists being attached to circumferential, longitudinally spaced ribs forming part of the aircraft fuselage and the longitudinally extending beams being attached to the joists. The beams carry longitudinally extending fixing tracks of a standard type, onto which passenger seats and seating components may be fitted. These tracks provide a degree of flexibility in seat pitch i.e. the spacing of seats in the longitudinal direction of the cabin, and allow individual seats or rows of seats to be removed and replaced. However, the lateral alignment of the seats is constrained by the tracks.
Another conventional approach is to mount seats or seating components integrally on a ‘pallet’, which is attached to the fixing tracks in the floor panels. This approach has been used for example in the applicant's ‘Club World’® seats, aspects of which are described in WO-A-2000/21831. This approach removes the need for seats or seating components to be compatible with the standard fixing tracks, but does not allow the parts to be easily reconfigured within the cabin. Also, the pallet adds to the overall weight of the seating.
Patent publication WO-A-2011/119720 discloses a floor panel system with fixing tracks different from the standard fixing tracks, to allow more variation in the design of seat frames. The floor panels may replace standard floor panels, or be attached to existing standard floor panels.
Conventional aircraft passenger seat layouts require different cabin classes to be segregated, typically in longitudinal blocks on the same deck, or on different decks. Each block typically comprises seats of the same type. However, this is unduly limiting and provides a suboptimal experience for many passengers. For example, a row of seats that may be satisfactory for passengers travelling alone or in pairs may be less suitable for families or larger groups of passengers. One business traveler may require privacy and sleep during a flight, while another business traveler or group of business travelers may wish to work or hold a discussion. It would be desirable to have a flexible passenger seating arrangement able to accommodate different passenger needs, and easily reconfigurable to support different needs.